Xela Energy has received full planning permission to build a 5MW solar installation that will supply renewable electricity directly to IBM’s Hursley site.
This project is the first in the UK to connect a data centre to a dedicated solar farm via a private-wire system.
Alexander Goodall, founder and CEO of Xela Energy, said: “This project represents a major milestone in how large power users can decarbonise with certainty, speed and integrity.
“It’s a blueprint for how the UK can decarbonise its most energy-intensive industries at scale.
“If our energy is unsustainable, so is our existence.
“That’s why Xela Energy exists – to make clean, cost-effective power available directly at the point of use; without waiting for policy, grid reform or subsidies.
“Projects like this show we don’t have to choose between economic growth and environmental responsibility – it’s possible to have both.”
Located on nearby agricultural land, the solar farm will supply traceable, renewable energy to the Hursley campus without relying on the national grid or government subsidies.
Xela Energy said the project will reduce IBM’s demand on the UK electricity grid, helping to improve energy security and free up capacity for other users.
The Hursley solar farm is expected to produce nearly five million kWh of electricity each year.
Over its lifetime, the project will save around 46,000 tonnes of CO2 – the equivalent of planting 60,000 trees.
The solar farm will also lower the carbon footprint of IBM’s 27,000 square-foot data centre, which has been in operation since 1977.
The project will include landscaping and areas dedicated to biodiversity improvements.
Xela Energy said the solar farm supports its broader goal of helping major energy users decarbonise amid rising demand from generative artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.
